Alexei Drakken
Alexei Drakken, also known as Sovereign by many people, is a Sun-Knight and, secretly, an aide to the Bast to allow them to retake Gaia, under the belief that the only way to save humanity was to submit to the synthetics. He lives in Drakken manor in the Northern Highlands of Gedravell as well as being revered as an Emperor in the eastern kingdom of Soveria under the name of Soverius. This gives him a great amount of resources, as his connections to the Sun-Knights and Soveria are unknown to either party. Having implanted some Bast parts into himself, Alexei is able to negate most mid-level magic attacks as far as a football field. Added with his Sun-Knight training, he is an extremely formidable opponent in battle. Appearance He has short, blonde hair and red, slitted eyes due to being introduced to Dragon's Blood as an infant. Also as a result of the Dragon's Blood, he has short canines that are usually unnoticed if he doesn't broaden his smile as well as red markings on his body that glow when a Dragon is near. He has a well-built musculature, able to wear heavy, golden Plate armour for hours until needing to remove it from strain and heat. Along with this, he can carry extremely heavy and straining weapons into battle and use them profficiently (in most circumstances that is.) His blonde hair is usually slicked back with a special gel when he is acting as a Sun-Knight, but kept hung low and casual otherwise. Personality A cultured and articulate man, Alexei has studied in various fields and practices as well as being trained in various forms, be it combat or otherwise. He is fond of art and culture and has studied philosophy and war tactics extensively. He respects all walks of life to a degree. Alexei is very good at acting, able to pose as a kindly, humble elite warrior as a Sun-Knight and a stern, strict ruler as Emperor. People around him are so taken by their own perceptions of what they believe he is, his disguises are near-perfect. Even the Bast, Baktl, had difficulty discerning if he could be trusted. His perfect performances in his alter-egos whilst hiding his true motives played a pivotal role in his manipulation of Gaia. A man of luxury, Alexei enjoys spending time alone in his manor studying or engaging in various creative activities, such as painting or playing the organ. He displays a very deep, philosophical interest as seen in his own personal thoughts and diaries. He excels at games testing one's mental power, such as Chess and Checkers, both human games of tactic. Even when directing armies, Alexei inspires their loyalty and can have minimal casualties through careful execution of his plans. He values his men, not only as resources, but as people and, while he states he cannot logically do more than he can to protect them, he is willing to do all he can to in order to keep them safe and loyal. He has great intrigue and even fear of the Bast, agreeing to serve Baktl and the rest of the Bast as Humanities' Emperor if they spared the race. He regrets that he cannot save the other races, for the Bast need them for their resources. When questioned about this, he justifies that he has seen the Bastian Vision and knows what they are capable of. Still, is persisted, he can reason that if enough effort and resources are put forth to it, the Bast may just be able to be pushed back to their planet, if not defeated altogether. Alexei highly respects the tenets of the Sun-Knights, and uses them as another reason why he must side with the Bast; to save Gaia. Having been shown what weapons and powers they possess, he is certain they are capable of bringing the entire world to ruin and does all in his power to bring humanity closer to his mindset. He considers his comrades in the Sun-Knights his closest friends, but is unwilling to side with them lest he break his vow and condemn Gaia to her fate. However, out all of his defining character traits, the one that most characterizes Alexei is his committment to his duty. As a military commander, Alexei's determination to his objectives is something commented on by all around him. He utilizes the knowledge of his enemies' tendencies and art against them with clever tactics that take vague advantage of these weaknesses. Then, by the time they realize what has happened, it is too late to correct it. History Birth Alexei was born to Baron Victor Tengent vas Drakken II and Lady Elizabeth Secquas dex Drakken, rare descendants of the fallen kingdom of Dorneddia. Alexei inherited his father's Pride Name of "vas", and was already being prepared for a rich life of nobility. However, a trader visiting the Manor with a supply of Alchemical devices and items was being ushered away by the family guard, the Drakken family holding a great disgust for the Magical arts, including Alchemy. In rataliation for their disrespect and spite, he splashed expensive, rare Dragon's Blood onto the babe, imbuing it with a magical talent otherwise found absent in his line of the family. Glowing red tattoos formed on his body, and his bright, blue eyes were replaced by red, slitted, draconic ones. His mother considered having the baby given away or cast off for it being "tainted", but the father refused. So it was that Alexei was raised as promised. A noble of high birth, his eerie draconic aura, for the most part, ignored due to his status and talents. Upon age thirteen, the prestigious Sun-Knights agreed to allow Alexei into their ranks. As a child among skilled adults, Alexei displayed surprising skill and naturality at this new setting. His scores were perfect, his training remarkable, and social skills superb. At age 18, the man had made a name for himself as the prodigy of the Sun-Knights, the North or Morning Star in the darkness of Gaia's turmoil. But Alexei wasn't content with the life of a glamorous noble. Long had he spoken of becoming a military Commander during his training days. Upon being granted the status of a fully-fledged Sun-Knight, he swore himself under the tenets and began taking on high-level missions in which he would often be granted authority over even his own Commanders due to his great tactical prowess. Combat Style Alexei is an elite combatant with his Sun-Knight training alone, but what makes him such a threat is his diversity and creativity. His great physical state makes him an ideal fighter for varying styles. In one engagement, he can be a strategic ranged combatant who takes precise aim on vital weaknesses and hit his opponents where it hurts. In another, he can be a quick, up-close and personal fist fighter. Tactics Alexei studies the art of a race before going against them in battle, able to pinpoint psychological weaknesses from even the most unimportant details. He demonstrates this exemplary in his battle against the Fireblood Horde. When he discovers the Horde leaders' reliance on supply income from swamp Wehrlocs from a nearby river, he deduces that without that income, the Horde would be unnable to make any effective assault against them. Weapons Lutherian's Mercy: Lutherian's Mercy is an Enchanted longsword with a golden hilt and carefully-crafted design, two small ends sticking out from a few inches away from the guard. It's Enchantments are; Dragon's Blessing, which augments the blade to light aflame with Magically-produced fire when unsheathed near Dragons, Illuminating Essence, which makes the blade glow when the wielder is enshrouded in darkness, and Strength Augmentation, which makes the wielder slightly stronger than they usually are without damaging muscle tissue. Mextret: A Bast weapon he uses during the Bast Invasion, it is a black and green Mace which seems to be upgraded to use some sort of Force Magic, as it knocks enemies back for yards upon a single swing. It is given to him by Baktl, as a reward for his loyalty. Armour Golden Centurion Set: Plate Armour painted Gold and formally blessed by the Church of Blessed Light, Spells and Traits Quotes "May warriors' fortune smile on our efforts." "I will do whatever necessary to protect those who depend on me. No more. But no less." "I admire Sir Drakken. He's intelligent and noble, with an artistic sensitivity I haven't seen since I left school." -Lord Farres Dagenier on Alexei Drakken "The secret to successful analysis, Roger: whenever possible, reduce matters to a single variable." "No warrior ever has the full depth of control that he would like. But I wish here that it might have been otherwise." "The role of a Sun-Knight is to protect the Gaian people. The warrior's own survival is of only secondary importance." Alexei: "There are too few idealists in this universe, Roger. Too few people who strive always to see only the good in others. I wouldn't want to be responsible for crushing even one of them." Roger Pentagren: " And besides, you rather liked all that unquestioning adulation coming your way?" Alexei: "All beings appreciate such admiration." "I do not need permission to fight on their behalf." "One can concentrate so closely on the words of a sentence that one thereby misses the meaning. As can happen in any area of life. You must never lose focus on the larger landscape." "Someday, our Humanity and their Bast will make contact, and the friends and potential allies we create now may well define what direction that contact will take." Richard Pensworth: "What exactly do you think you're doing?" Alexei: "The job for which I was commissioned. I'm protecting Gaia's people from its enemies." Richard Pensworth: "Its enemies. Not potential enemies. Do you hear the difference?" Alexei: "Yes. And no." ''"All thoughts are worth listening to, whether later judged to be of value or not." "I have studied Vorcha's ways and discovered a weakness in his reliance on trade income from a nearby river. When we cut them off, our forces will strip Vorcha of his advantage." Alexei: "Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake, soldier?" Thunderhaven Crossbowman: "No sir." Alexei: "Any one can make an error, soldier. But that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." "There's a degree of risk involved. But risk has always been an inescapable part of warfare. In this case, the potential benefits far outweigh the potential risks." Alexei: "You were expecting, perhaps, that I'd order an all-out attack? That I would seek to cover our defeat in a frenzy of false and futile heroics?" Roger Pentagren: "Of course not." Alexei: "We haven't been defeated, Lieutenant. Merely slowed down a bit." "Learn about art, Lieutenant. When you understand a species' art, you understand a species." "I have no qualms about accepting a useful idea merely because it is not my own." Roger Pentagren: "Any idea whether these people will be hostile toward strangers?" Alexei: "Most likely. Most people are. Shall we go?" "The entire Magi populace, I think, needs to be reminded of who it is they serve." "I rule this Empire now. Not some long dead fossil, and certainly not you." "Concentration, focus, long-term thinking- Those are the qualities that separate a warrior from a mere flailing fighter." "I am not Commander Greyn, Leiutenant. I do not spend my men recklessly. Nor do I take their deaths lightly." Vardas: "Have a care, Arden. I rule this Empire, not you." Alexei: "Do you really?" Roger Pentagren: "This unit is fully at your command, sir." Alexei: "Good. Make certain the rest of the assault force is likewise, and inform them we'll be waiting until the siege cannons have cleared the area. Then, we'll remind these Orcs what war is all about." Vardas: "You doubt the power of Magic, Soverius?" Alexei: "Not at all. I merely present the problems you and your Magick will have to solve if you continue with this course of action." "On no fewer than four occasions I told the King himself that I would not waste his troops and ships attacking an enemy I was not yet prepared to defeat." "I see Magic as a potential asset... or hazard." Triva Inspiration The character of Alexei Drakken was inspired by a variety of figures from various media and stories. His appearance was based off of Gilgamesh from the Anime series Fate/Stay Night. His Personality was based highly on that of Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars, to the extent that most of his Quotes are rearranged versions of ones he said in the book. His position as secret traitor for an enigmatic, powerful Alien race was inspired by Saren Arterius from Mass Effect.